Bruno Serralongue's Photograph of Eritrean Musician at Centre Pompidou

Charles-Arthur Boyer's essay in artpress 472 examines Bruno Serralongue's photograph 'Jeune homme érythréen jouant de la musique,' taken on February 8, 2018, in the Chico-Mendès woods of Calais's 'jungle.' The image is part of Serralongue's Calais series, documenting the migrant camp from 2006 to 2018. It was displayed at the Centre Pompidou in Paris from October 16, 2019, to February 24, 2020, as part of the exhibition 'Calais-Témoigner de la « jungle ».' The photograph shows a young Eritrean man playing a makeshift instrument, seated in a precarious shelter. Boyer reflects on the image's ability to convey the migrant experience without pathos or aestheticism, emphasizing its quiet intensity. Serralongue, a member of the national photographic commission 'Réinventer Calais,' captures the tension between foreground darkness and bright background, evoking the transient lives of refugees. The essay connects the work to broader themes of exile and survival, noting the photograph's resonance with Serralongue's earlier 2006 image 'Chemin à l'aube 1.' The text highlights the artist's precise, non-sensationalist approach to documenting contemporary crises.